The good, the bad, the complex: Computers and Composition in transition

In this article I use Albert Borgmann’s (1984) four-part theory of technology to analyze various contributions to Computers and Composition—initially enthusiastic, sometimes fearful, and later aware of the complexities of technology and the need for anchoring discussions of technology in theory and pedagogy. By applying Borgmann’s theory, I show how readers of Computers and Composition can follow the 20-year development of technological awareness in the journal, and I also show possibilities for future directions the journal can take.     

Research and trends in the field of e-learning from 2001 to 2005: A content analysis of cognitive studies in selected journals

This paper provided a content analysis of studies in the field of cognition in e-learning that were published in five Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) journals (i.e. Computers and Education, British Journal of Educational Technology, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Educational Technology Research & Development, and Journal of Computer Assisted Learning) from 2001 to 2005. Among the 1027 articles published in these journals from 2001 to 2005, 444 articles were identified as being related to the topic of cognition in e-learning. These articles were cross analyzed by published years, journal, research topic, and citation count. Furthermore, 16 highly-cited articles across different topics were chosen for further analysis according to their research settings, participants, research design types, and research methods. It was found from the analysis of the 444 articles that “Instructional Approaches,” “Learning Environment,” and “Metacognition” were the three most popular research topics, but the analysis of the citation counts suggested that the studies related to “Instructional Approaches,” “Information Processing” and “Motivation” might have a greater impact on subsequent research. Although the use of questionnaires might still be the main method of gathering research data in e-learning cognitive studies, a clear trend was observed that more and more studies were utilizing learners’ log files or online messages as data sources for analysis. The results of the analysis provided insights for educators and researchers into research trends and patterns of cognition in e-learning.     

The effect of an information ethics course on the information ethics values of students - A Chinese guanxi culture perspective

The development of information technology has a significant influence on social structure and norms, and also impacts upon human behavior. In order to achieve stability and social harmony, people need to respect various norms, and have their rights protected. Students’ information ethics values are of critical and radical importance in achieving this goal. Using qualitative approach, the present study utilizes Kohlberg’s CMD model to measure improvement in students’ “information ethics values” through “technology mediated learning (TML)” models, and to assess the extent to which it is influenced by gender and Chinese guanxi culture. We find that while e-learning improves female students’ “respect rules,” “privacy,” “accessibility” and “intellectual property” values more than male students, the percentages relating to “intellectual property” for females in the higher stages remain lower than for males. Moreover, these results are interpreted from a Chinese guanxi culture perspective. In light of these results, educators should take account of such improvements when designing effective teaching methods and incentives.     

Feminism asks the “Who” questions in HCI

In this brief personal essay, I describe some of the ways that feminism has influenced my life as a researcher and practitioner in HCI and CSCW - in the creation of work to be read by others, in the critical reading of works that were created by others, and in the planning and framing of practical work in enterprise workplaces. I discuss three variations of “Who” questions that feminism helps us to ask in HCI: The “who” of the identity of the user; the “who” of the identity of organizational actors; and the “who” of the practitioner or researcher.     

Exploring Post-critical Composition: MEmorials for Afghanistan and the Lost Boys of Sudan*

This article seeks to extend the concept of “post-critical composition” through an analysis of two MEmorials, the post-critical genre Gregory Ulmer [Ulmer, Gregory L. (2005). Electronic monuments. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press] has been exploring for 15 years. I resist the tendency on the part of some post-critical theorists to reject the role of genres and models in favor of perpetual re-invention of genres and pedagogies with each composition. Through a combination of product analysis and process reflection, this article documents the necessary but flexible role the genre of MEmorial played in a student composition, “MEmorial for Afghanistan,” and in my own composition, “Strangers in Strange Lands: A MEmorial for the Lost Boys of Sudan*.” This essay is an extension of not only post-critical composition but also online memorialization, described by National Public Radio [National Public Radio. (2007, May 28). Online memorials to the war dead. Day to day. Retrieved June 5, 2007, from http://www.npr.org] as a “modern phenomenon” and identified by Joyce Walker [Walker, Joyce. (2007). Narratives in the database: Memorializing September 11th online. Computers and Composition 24(2), 121-153] as a potentially powerful means of encouraging “cyborg citizens.”     

The evolution of the Computers and Writing Conference, the second decade

This article, written for the twentieth anniversary of the Computers and Writing Conference, is the sequel to “The Evolution of the Computers and Writing Conference” (Computers and Composition, 12(3), November, 1995). The earlier article analyzed many of the intellectual concerns, values, and language expressed in presentations at the Computers and Writing Conference from 1982 to 1994. This article does the same for the second ten conferences, 1995-2004. Throughout the second decade, we have developed a new comfort with computers, expanded our idea of “writing” beyond the traditional essay, and gained a respected place in the academy. Computers and writing has become an institution. At the same time, we sometimes worry about losing control over our teaching and can feel overwhelmed by the size of the task we undertake. Many of our values have stayed the same; however, we are optimistic about the place of technology in our work and in the culture at large, we love to experiment, and we routinely weave ideas from other disciplines and other areas of our lives into our computers and writing research.     

Cybernetics, system(s) theory, information theory and Fuzzy Sets and Systems in the 1950s and 1960s

About 60 years ago Norbert Wiener and Claude Elwood Shannon established the new scientific discipline of information theory. However, it is very probable that Shannon’s article A Mathematical Theory of Communication would not have become famous without the help of Warren Weaver, whose popular text on “The Mathematics of Communication” re-interpreted Shannon’s work for broader scientific audiences. Weaver’s “preface” and Shannon’s article were published together in the book The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Norbert Wiener’s Cybernetics was an even more popular event, when it appeared in print. However publications were influential on two scientific areas with concepts unmentioned or unelaborated within the texts themselves: Systems Theory and information theory. A “General System Theory” had already been created by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the late 1920s for biological and philosophical research. This approach melded in North America in the 1950s with cybernetics, as well as a new system theoretical approach in engineering sciences in the 1950s. Bertalanffy’s “General System Theory” - or simply “systems theory” was used, became even more famous in humanities. In the 1960s attempts to yield both systems theory took root in the humanities, with mixed success.This paper will review the links across these fields showing the influences across cybernetics, system(s) theory and information theory throughout the 1950s and the theory of Fuzzy Sets and Systems. Then we focus to the non-technical but philosophical aspects of information theory. When Weaver emphasized not the technical but the semantic and influential problems of communication, his arguments were very similar to Charles W. Morris’ foundations of the Theory of Signs (1938) - Semiotics. We will show some interesting ideas of Weaver related to semiotic thinking and we will advocate a “fuzzy information theory” that has to be appropriate to cover this “semiotic concept of information”. Finally, the paper presents epistemological reflections in historical perspective on the concept of “information” as a “fluctuating object” that we take as a fuzzy concept.     

Sexualities, technologies, and the teaching of writing: A critical overview

In this introduction to a special issue of Computers and Composition, the authors critically review current literature on computer-assisted writing pedagogies that grapple with issues of sexuality. Although this body of work is small, it points to provocative ways to develop our students’ critical and rhetorical sensibilities about the constructions of sexuality in our culture. Further, such work innovatively addresses the place of networked communication technologies in the interrogation of such constructions. The authors conclude with both an introduction of the work in this special issue that addresses the intersection of sexuality studies and computer-assisted writing studies and with a call for additional work in this field.     

A note on “fuzzy multi-objective production/distribution planning decisions with multi-product and multi-time period in a supply chain”

Liang (2008) [Liang, T. -F. (2008). A note on “fuzzy multi-objective production/distribution planning decisions with multi-product and multi-time period in a supply chain”. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 55, 676–694] proposed a production/distribution planning model and its solution approach in fuzzy environment. However, his mathematical model does not use backordering option. The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate this handicap and propose a valid constraint.     

A tree-structured framework for purifying “complex” clusters with structural roles of individual data

How can we find a natural clustering of a “complex” dataset, which may contain an unknown number of overlapping clusters of arbitrary shape and be contaminated by noise? A tree-structured framework is proposed in this paper to purify such clusters by exploring the structural role of each data. In practice, each individual object within the internal organization of the data has its own specific role—“centroid”, hub or outlier—due to distinctive associations with their respective neighbors. Adjacent centroids always interact on each other and serve as mediate nodes of one tree being members of some cluster. Hubs closed to some centroid become leaf nodes responsible for the termination of the growth of trees. Outliers that weakly touch with any centroid are often discarded from any trees as global noise. All the data can thus be labeled by a specified criterion of “centroids”-connected structural consistency (CCSC). Free of domain-specific information, our framework with CCSC could widely adapt to many clustering-related applications. Theoretical and experimental contributions both confirm that our framework is easy to interpret and implement, efficient and effective in “complex” clustering.     

The effect of computer-assisted teaching on remedying misconceptions: The case of the subject “probability”

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of computer-assisted teaching (CAT) on remedying misconceptions students often have regarding some probability concepts in mathematics. Toward this aim, computer-assisted teaching materials were developed and used in the process of teaching. Within the true-experimental research method, a pre- and post-test control group study was carried out with 37 seventh-grade students-18 in the experimental group (CAT) and 19 in the control group (traditional teaching). A 12-item instrument, made up of 4 items related to each of the concepts “Probability Comparisons (PC),” “Equiprobability (E),” and “Representativeness (R),” was developed and implemented with the participants. After the teaching intervention, the same instrument was again administered to both groups as a post-test. In light of the findings, it can be concluded that computer-assisted teaching was significantly more effective than traditional methods in terms of remedying students’ misconceptions.     

Doing ‘organizational work’: Expanding the conception of professional practice in ergonomics

Literature on ergonomic practice contains many discussions of how ergonomists should work but far less attention has been paid to how they do work and the factors that influence their practice. In an effort to improve our understanding of ergonomic practice as it occurs and how it is conditioned by broader contexts, we conducted an interview study with 21 ergonomists in Canada. We were particularly interested to understand the different kinds of activities study participants engaged in during the course of their work, the challenges they faced and the strategies they employed for facing these challenges. Findings indicate that in the course of their professional practice ergonomists engage in a variety of types of activities. This includes consulting on risk factors as well as a proactive role of fostering the application of ergonomics in organizations. The process of advocating for ergonomics brought study participants into a variety of interactions and collaborations with workplace parties in a type of activity we have called “organizational work”. In the course of doing organizational work, ergonomists utilize different strategies, including “political manoeuvring”, tailoring data collection and report presentations to clients’ concerns and ‘goal hooking’ in order to make the case for implementing ergonomics in workplaces. The article concludes with a list of “tips” for practicing ergonomists that are suggested by the analysis.     

De-coding Our Scholarship: The State of Research in Computers and Writing from 2003–2008

Since its inception, the field of computers and writing has responded to rapid technological advancements that affect the research, practice, and teaching of writing. A potential consequence of addressing these advancements in teaching and practice, however, may be a reduced focus on foundational, empirical research. To examine the state of research in the field of computers and writing, we assessed the types of research published in four journals (Computers and Composition print, Computers and Composition Online, Kairos, and College Composition and Communication (CCC)) from late 2003/early 2004 to the end of 2008. We explored the state of research by investigating research approaches, design, and modes of inquiry over time. Within this context, we considered author gender, collaboration, and employment of interdisciplinary and mixed methods. We applied criteria from MacNealy (1998) to classify 26% of the computers and writing articles we analyzed as rigorous empirical research. We found a preference for qualitative research designs (56% of articles were qualitative) and, to a lesser degree, mixed methods (29%). While providing a sense of the state of the field as it matures, we conclude by presenting discussion questions on the role of research, research drivers, and ways to increase the quality of research and research reporting. We urge the field to consider the kinds of research we do, teach, and value.     

How international is Computers and Composition?

In this article, I examine to what extent Computers and Composition: An International Journal for Teachers of Writing is international. My analysis of several aspects of the journal indicates limited international scope. I also discuss two issues important when considering the potential international scope of computers and writing research and practices: the differing uses of computers for writing by different language users and the differing concepts of identity and self in different cultures in relation to writing. I conclude with concrete suggestions for broadening our perspectives on computers and writing and making this journal truly international.     

Can the grammar of schooling be changed?

In this article we propose that the grammar of schooling [Tyack, D., & Tobin, W. (1994). The “grammar” of schooling: Why has it been so hard to change? American Educational Research Journal, 31(3), 453–479.] is responsible not only for the well-known and world-wide difficulties in integrating ICT into formal educational settings, but also for the replication of traditional models when this integration occurs. In clear contrast with this domain, in out-of-school projects ICT is integrated in innovative and truly “disruptive” [Blin, F., & Munro, M. (2008). Why hasn´t technology disrupted academics´ teaching practices. Understanding resistance to change through the lens of activity theory. Computers and Education, 50(2), 475–490.] ways. To exemplify this integration, we have selected and described two successful, although different in nature, out-of-school projects. The first one, Pincel y Ratón, seeks to develop creativity in children and to educate them to use ICT in a reflexive and useful manner. The second project, Menosca, pursues children’s understanding of their historical and social environment through the use of GPSs, digital photography and web-page design. Both experiences underscore the multiple and varied possibilities that ICT affords for meaningful learning when the constraints inherent to the school setting do not seem to apply. By contrasting the formal and the out-of-school experiences, it is possible to unveil and bring to consciousness the principles and rules of the “grammar of schooling”. We propose that becoming aware of the features of this grammar, i.e., philosophy, course design, time and place, tasks, resources, outcomes and products and assessment, is the first step toward change.     

Digital divides? Student and staff perceptions of information and communication technologies

This paper reports qualitative findings from a study that investigated Australian university staff and students’ perceptions and use of current and emerging technologies both in their daily lives and in teaching and learning contexts. Forty-six first-year students and 31 teaching and support staff from three Australian universities took part in interviews and focus groups. This paper examines how students and staff reported on their use of new technologies in their daily lives, their stated reasons for using those technologies, and their beliefs about the benefits and limitations of using technologies as teaching and learning tools. The findings question assumptions that have been made about a “digital divide” between “digital native” students and their “digital immigrant” teachers in higher education today, suggesting we need to develop a more sophisticated understanding about the role technologies play in the lives of both students and staff. A better understanding of student and staff perspectives will allow for more informed decisions about the implementation of educational technologies in today’s higher education institutions.     

Musical rhetoric in integrated-media composition

Rhetorical analyses of popular music in film can guide composition teachers to develop an anticipatory pedagogy for transforming ready-made musical materials into coherent and persuasive psychologically interactive, integrated-media compositions. This essay offers an analysis of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” as the thesis of Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill and an examination of a student-produced digital video homage to David Fincher's Fight Club that employs The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” as a vehicle for its argument. Scholarly attention to visual rhetoric has helped composition teachers and theorists envision new possibilities for composing in new media. Careful consideration of musical rhetoric may enable us to hear new possibilities for integrated-media composition as well.     

Computers and Composition 1983–2002: What we have hoped for

I review the first 20 years of Computers and Composition, looking particularly at the expressed hopes for the potential of change in the emergence of new writing-classroom technologies. Hopes in the early issues of the journal focused on technology’s presumed potential for improved writing, teaching, and learning in the composition classroom; a later and recurrent hope was that by embracing technology, composition teachers would improve their status in the academy. Authors in recent issues looked less at the technology and much more through the technology, toward a more egalitarian and just society. I attempt, in this review, to locate these hopes in the context of professional and national cultures.     

Negative selection algorithms on strings with efficient training and linear-time classification

A string-based negative selection algorithm is an immune-inspired classifier that infers a partitioning of a string space Σ^? into “normal” and “anomalous” partitions from a training set S containing only samples from the “normal” partition. The algorithm generates a set of patterns, called “detectors”, to cover regions of the string space containing none of the training samples. Strings that match at least one of these detectors are then classified as “anomalous”. A major problem with existing implementations of this approach is that the detector generating step needs exponential time in the worst case. Here we show that for the two most widely used kinds of detectors, the r-chunk and r-contiguous detectors based on partial matching to substrings of length r, negative selection can be implemented more efficiently by avoiding generating detectors altogether: for each detector type, training set S⊆Σ^? and parameter r≤? one can construct an automaton whose acceptance behaviour is equivalent to the algorithm’s classification outcome. The resulting runtime is O(|S|?r|Σ|) for constructing the automaton in the training phase and O(?) for classifying a string.